In 2011, the male marriage rate remained at 22.0 marriages per thousand unmarried men aged 16 and over. For women the rate decreased to 19.8 per thousand unmarried women aged 16 and over, from 20.0 in 2010. The greatest number of marriages were for men and women aged 25 to 29.

Civil ceremonies accounted for 70% of all marriages that took place in 2011, an increase from 64% in 2001.

A lower percentage of couples having a religious marriage cohabited before marrying for all years. However the gap has narrowed over time. In 1994, 41% of couples having a religious ceremony lived together before marriage, almost doubling to 78% in 2011.

Other statisticsshow that the number of couples cohabiting in the UK has doubled since 1996, illustrating that cohabitation is now more common, both as a precursor and an alternative to marriage.